Dolphin Therapy and Autism
Ranking:

Suppliers and Availability

Suppliers

Dolphin therapies are available in many different locations around the world including Europe, the Middle East, Asia, the USA, the Caribbean and South America.

Credentials

Dolphin therapy is a wholly unaccredited and unregulated industry. According to Brake and Williamson (2007),

“[The Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society] is not aware of any regulations governing DAT or swim-with-the-dolphins programmes in the countries where DAT is conducted. Swim-with regulations alone are also scarce, although the current marine mammal regulations in the Bahamas include specific requirements for interactive programmes and the Italian regulations on the maintenance of dolphins in captivity prohibit dolphins coming into physical contact with members of the public. Since the suspension of regulations governing dolphin interactive programmes in April 1999, there have been no specific operational requirements for swim-with-the-dolphins programmes in the United States, where some DAT facilities are located. Without such regulations, it is not possible for the authorities to enforce any operational standards on national swim-with and DAT facilities.”